The Art of Forgiveness
by Goalie Queen
Summary: My vision began to get blurry and my head was spinning. I tried to focus on Megan, but my eyes closed. “David?"... Happens after Trust Metric. Have no fear... NOT SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

The Art of Forgiveness

_Colby's Point of View_

David was late to work my first day back. I couldn't help but feel like it was a coincidence. He was never late before… but then again, things were different now. I sat at my desk, staring at the black computer screen, listening to the distant thunder echo. There was supposed to be a big storm today.

My thoughts slowly drifted back to that day in the hospital:

_My eyes opened to a harsh light and closed again. I felt like someone had beaten me with a baseball bat. Then I remembered I was supposed to be dead. There was a mask around my nose and my mouth, keeping me alive, I guessed._

"_Good morning sleepy head." Megan's voice startled me and I turned, too fast, to find her. My eyes shut as pain shot through my shoulders. This recovering thing was going to be hard. "You probably don't want to move too much." The look of confusion on my face tipped her off. "You would be dead if it weren't for David."_

It was then that she had explained how I had been saved. I still hadn't even seen him since before the whole thing. Today would be a reunion and I could only guess how it would go. "Colby." The sharp voice pulled me from my meditation. Don was staring at me. "David's here. We are having a meeting in the conference room." He turned his back and walked to the room. He still probably hadn't forgiven me either. I was the last to the conference room. There was a seat between Charlie and Megan. I decided to take that one over the chair next to Sinclair. His dark eyes never turned to look at me; they were focused on Don. Charlie gave me a pat on the back. He'd had a hand in saving me too.

I tuned in to Don. "We've got a slow day today, nothing yet. Wright still doesn't trust us yet after the whole…" he stopped mid-sentence. "I have a feeling other teams will be getting the big stuff. And before you head out to lunch, one of us needs to stop by the First National Bank. There was a robbery, but the guy was shot. It's no big deal and there are cops all over this, but they just 'needed' the FBI's expertise." He grinned. "Anyone want to take this one? Colby, David?"

"I can handle it by myself." I hardly recognized that the cold voice came from my partner.

"See me after." Don sounded like a principal of an elementary school. "You and Colby are taking it." Several heads turned to glance at me. My nonchalance must have been assuring because they glanced back to Don. "You can go…" Everyone immediately stood up and walked out and I felt like I had missed something. I stood slowly and retreated to my desk. I began to unpack my things that were there before. It was strange, I was missing some things. Like my fishing lure…

My eye caught Don's arms waving in the almost empty conference room. The door was shut so there was no chance of me hearing, but he was angry. David's back was turned to me, and he didn't move. Don ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was stressed. David was being difficult.

I spent the morning answering wrong number phone calls and slowly drinking a bottle of water. The far-away clouds had progressed into a sun-cover, and I could tell the bottoms of the clouds were about to give out. David walked by my desk about 11:30 and tossed the keys to the Escalade onto my desk. I took that as a sign that we were leaving. I saw Megan and Don give me a smirk as I stood up to follow.

It was the most awkward elevator ride I had ever experienced. David stood half turned away from me and there was nothing but the sound of the elevator working. We walked out into the underground garage and found the car and I stood until David climbed into the passenger seat. I guessed that I would be the designated driver. I climbed in and started the ignition, afraid of what discussion would come. The rain began to pour from the too-dark sky when we pulled out. I turned the windshield wipers on high. It was still hard to see out the window.

We had driven for about five minutes when I decided to say something. "I…uh, I never got a chance to thank you for saving me. So, thanks, David." The silence was piercing.

"I wish I hadn't." The words took me by such surprise that I turned away from the windshield to look at him. He stared back at me in horror.

_David's Point of View_

I turned to take back what I had said. It was then that I saw the other car's headlights, about to plow into us. My eyes widened and the horrible smash crushed Colby. Our car rolled over until we were upside-down. I had to make myself turn to Colby. "Colby!" He didn't move. "Wake up!" It was no use. I unbuckled my seat belt, which resulted in my falling forward and hitting my head. Stupid move, but necessary. I pushed as hard as I could to open the door. Finally, after I was leaning against it, it opened and I fell the few inches to the pavement. I stood up and ran to the driver's side. I couldn't open the door.

I stuck my hand through the broken window and tried unsuccessfully to find the handle. My arm came out drenched in blood, though there was no cut on it. "Colby!" I kicked the stupid car. I ran around to my side to try to get him out that way. By now, there were bystanders watching in horror. All I could think about was getting Colby out. I crawled into the small space and pulled his shoulder. He wouldn't budge. His eyes were closed and his forehead rested against the steering wheel where blood dripped onto it. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Don's number.

He took four rings to answer. "What, Sinclair? I'm in a meeting."

"I can't get Colby out. The car… He was driving and I saw the truck run the light… Send someone." My voice was shaking so much that I don't know if he understood me.

"I'm coming right now. Did you call the cops?" I was about to say no when I heard sirens in the distance.

"They're close." I hung up and crawled out of the mangled car. There were two police cars and an ambulance. I looked into the other car and there was no one it. The front of the huge truck was barely dented. The cops got out and walked closer to where I stood.

"Sir, are you alright?" The cop was a woman. Great.

"I'm fine… but my partner. He's stuck; you have to get him out." I felt myself crawling onto the verge of hysteria.

"Alright sir, I'm going to need you to follow this medic. He's going to take care of you and we will work on getting your friend out." I followed the medic to the ambulance. He sat me down on a stretcher and turned around to get some tools.

"I'm not the one you need to worry about." He turned and looked at me.

"I still need to treat you, too. Does it hurt when I do this?" He touched his gloved fingers to my forehead. It felt like he punched me. I winced. When they withdrew, the fingers of the glove were red. "You probably have a concussion." He pushed me into a laying position on the stretcher and tied the yellow restraining rope around me. I closed my eyes. I was fine, it was Colby who wasn't. A black suburban pulled up next the ambulance and before it was off, Megan was next to me.

"David, where's Colby?" My vision began to get blurry and my head was spinning. I tried to focus on Megan, but my eyes closed. "David?" Her worried voice sounded light-years away.


	2. Chapter 2

The Art of Forgiveness

A/N: Hope you like it. Like some authors say, Colby is just so fun to beat up.

_David's Point of View_

I knew I was in the hospital before I opened my eyes; the antiseptic smell tipped me off. I did a quick body assessment before I opened my eyes. If the damage was bad, I would try to go back to sleep. My legs and feet seemed to be intact. The only thing that wasn't right was the throbbing in my forehead, but it was bearable. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the lovely drugs moving me in slow motion. Don was sitting at the small table scribbling furiously on some papers that were scattered all over the place. I just looked at him for a while and let him notice me because I was sure my voice wouldn't sound so great.

He took a few minutes to realize I was looking at him, but when he finally did he smiled. I had never seen Don looking so horribly. His hair was, as usual, combed to absolute perfection but his face betrayed him. Impossibly dark circles resided under bloodshot eyes. His skin seemed to be pulled tighter over his face and his eyebrows seemed to be pulled down in an eternal scowl. "It's nice to see someone awake." The words took me by surprise.

"Colby…" I closed my eyes, picturing the horrible scene of the crime. Hardly ironic when I thought about it, really. "How long has it been?"

"The accident was only on Monday… today is Wednesday. You broke two ribs and had a major concussion. The doctor said you wouldn't be awake until tomorrow." His voice faded at the end and his eyes closed momentarily.

"And Colby?" I shuddered at the name. The things I had said, or maybe even hadn't said.

"Megan's with him right now…" The sink in Don's face was so clear. It put a lump in my throat. I kept my eyes firmly on his, forcing myself to ask.

"How bad is it?" I swallowed, trying unsuccessfully to remove the lump. The scene ran through my mind: Colby's face as he turned to look at me the last time, the headlights shining over his turned shoulders. I closed my eyes and willed the memory to leave my mind, though I knew it would be there forever.

"His whole left side was crushed. He broke his arm in three places, he broke four ribs, has a concussion, and a cut from the metal that came through the door where he lost a lot of blood. He's… in a coma."

I took in a sharp breath of air, resulting in a hollow aching in my chest. I knew it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help but feel responsible. I closed my eyes and wished I would have driven. But I only put Colby behind the wheel because he was such a good driver. He avoided these kinds of things…

"The guy that ran the light, the truck driver… The police department has him in custody. He had quite some load of marijuana in his truck bed. Kind of an idiot to run a light with that in the back." Don laughed a shaky laugh and sighed. "Come on, man. It's not your fault. You have to understand that there is nothing that you did to cause and there was nothing you could've done to prevent it."

Sure, it was easy for him to say. He hadn't been there in those last moments. He hadn't been the one to make that look come onto Colby's face. I cleared my dry throat. At least I hadn't been ventilated. Although I was pretty sure Colby would be.

_Megan's Point of View_

I wanted to trade with Don when he called to tell me David was awake. Sitting with Colby was getting to be too much. He had that little mask tied around his face. The ventilator was keeping him alive. He was still getting transfusions two days later. But Don said I didn't want to trade. David was being thickheaded. It wasn't even his fault obviously. But the David I knew would find some reason that it would be.

I never wanted to see Colby like that ever again. The big Colby I knew looked miniscule in the hospital bed with huge, purple-brown bruises covering the whole left side of his face. A large cast covered his arm, which made a lump under the blanket. I could only imagine the scar he would get from metal that broke through the side of the door and into his stomach. He still had two more surgeries to go to repair his arm and re-do the bone set of his skull. But they couldn't do that until he was awake.

_(A/N: couldn't help but add a flashback)_

_I left David once he was loaded into the ambulance. He was going to be okay. I had to walk around a few cars parked at the scene, but then I saw the unit. It was completely crushed on the left side and upside-down. There was a huge almost monster truck parked a few feet away, with just a few scratches on the grate in front of the engine. I gasped when I realized I recognized the person they were trying to get out of the driver's side._

_Don was a few steps behind me, talking to a guard about the closed off intersection. Of course they closed it off. The accident was right in the middle between the lights and they couldn't move it until they had Colby. And who knows how long that would take. Don came up and stood next to me. As soon as he took it in, his face mimicked mine: mouth wide open, eyes in disbelief._

_We gave each other a glance and ran to the mangled car. They were just cutting the last hinge of the door. But when they pulled it out, there was a good chance I might have thrown up. It was stuck but only slightly and when it was off, a door sized hole was imbedded in Colby. It must have taken up half of his torso. Don rubbed his hand through his hair like he always did when he was stressed. I felt like that was a minor gesture because I was much more than stressed. The EMS helped lift Colby onto a stretcher and they carried him off to a waiting ambulance. He didn't open his eyes the whole time._

I heard a small knock on the door. "Come in." My voice sounded like I was being strangled. It was just Don. He looked about as bad as I felt.

"We need to trade. I need to get out of there. David's asleep and…" he slowed to stop when he took in Colby. He stared for a moment and then turned away. He looked at me. "Don't cry, Megan. He'll be fine."

I was crying? It was strange not to notice until he pointed it out. I got up out of the chair next to Colby's bed and gently released my grasp on his hand. "It's gonna be alright." Don's voice reassured me only slightly. He didn't really sound like he meant it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Don's Point of View_

_3 weeks after the accident…_

The paperwork pile was slowly starting to disintegrate. Just the thought of a real case brightened the prospect of my week completely. A.D. Wright promised my team a case as soon as all of our put off paperwork was completed. I glanced up to check on David's and Megan's load. Their piles were almost gone, too. I glanced back down to begin again, only to be interrupted by my cell phone.

I didn't recognize the number. "Eppes." I unconsciously began to read again while I waited for an answer.

"Agent Eppes, this is Dr. Shaw. I have been treating your agent, Colby Granger. I just received word that he has woken up from his coma. You will be allowed to visit him as soon as they get the last few surgeries out of the way."

I sat back into my chair as my mouth fell open.

"Agent?" The doctor probably had somewhere to be and couldn't be on the phone with a stunned FBI agent all day.

"Sorry. We will be over soon." I was aware that my voice sounded overjoyed, a tone that I hadn't even known where to find since Colby came back.

The dial tone on the line brought me back to the present. I hurriedly exited my office and walked past David and Megan. "Where are you going?" Their question was in unison.

"Colby's awake!" My eyes widened at the prospect of the words that came out of my mouth. I realized I was tapping my foot, waiting for the elevator and smiled. I was acting like a girl.

David and Megan joined me seconds later as the elevator doors opened and we shuffled in. I looked at Megan, who was looking intently at David. I followed her gaze. David's face was radiant. It had been especially hard to pull him away from Colby's bedside when he had been released. It was even harder to explain that Colby wouldn't wake up anytime soon. Now that was all going to change. I hadn't ever seen David so happy.

_Colby's Point of View_

I opened my eyes to the harsh light of the hospital. I had known where I was for a few days, but the stupid sedative hadn't allowed me to wake up completely. I looked around. I was alone. I whimpered a little at the pain that was slowly consuming my whole body. It was going to be torture if I didn't get some more something soon.

It was a few hours until a nurse came in to check on me. I had survived the first few minutes of the pain and then almost fell asleep. I had at first tried to reach for the call button, but I soon realized it would be an impossible feat considering my left arm was in a huge cast and my ribs hurt too much to let me move closer. The nurse almost fell over when I spoke.

"Hey…" My voice was raspy and muffled by the oxygen mask that I had grown familiar with.

"Agent Granger! You're awake! I'll have to let your friends know. They will be so glad." She was clearly excited. She began to mess with some tubes connected to me. I winced when she injected another needle into my already punctured arm. "Sorry… Just a little more morphine."

"How's David?" I was frustrated; I could feel the sleep pulling harshly at my eyelids and fought to stay awake.

"Agent Sinclair? He's great! He was released two weeks ago… He's really missed you, I think. They all have. They've practically been here every day. For a while Dr. Shaw didn't know if you would…"She stopped midsentence and started over. "I should call right now and let them know."

"What do you mean two weeks ago?" I slurred just as she was exiting the room.

"Agent, you've been in a coma for three weeks." She looked at me with pity in her eyes. The words struck me like lightning. Three weeks? How could that even be right? The injuries still felt fresh. And David wouldn't have missed me. The woman must have been crazy.

The new information from the nurse kept me awake for longer than I thought possible. Every time my eyes closed, I opened them quickly, reminding myself that my team was on their way and they had already seen me asleep enough in the recent weeks. I still couldn't believe it.

The drowsiness took over almost completely when Don rushed through the door. He stopped, just looking at me, and then ran to the side of the bed. "Colby! Man, you have no idea how good it is to see you awake!"

"Hey, Don." My voice was barely audible. The pain was starting to take over again. I winced and kept my eyes closed while the wave slowly subsided. The morphine was slowly taking its effect. "David, Megan?" It was all I could manage to get out.

"What hurts, Colb? Do you want me to call the nurse?" Don had completely ignored my question and looked at me with worried eyes. I shook my head. The movement made me dizzy. Seconds later, David and Megan entered the room.

The look on David's face made me stay awake long enough to say something. "Sorry…" I didn't know how they heard but they all shouted at me at the same time. I only heard portions of each rebuking because my consciousness was slipping.

"…not your fault…"

"…should've stayed…"

"…was wrong about you…" It was quiet for a few seconds and then:

"…wanted to save you again…"

The last voice I was sure was David's.

* * *

The End


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